Log-carriage-offsetting mechanism



MEM@

5. ERB

LOG CARRIAGE OFFSETTING MEGHANISM Filed May 28 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l Suce/wko@ -forms of which are illustrated in Patented Apr. l?, i923.

UNTED STATES Pietri LOG-CARRIAGE-OFFSTTING MECHANISM.`

Application filed May 28,

T all w hom t may concern.' Be it known that I, SAMUEL ERB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city oi rllacoma, county of Pierce, State of lVashington, yhave invented certain Anew and useful Improvements in vLog-Car'riage- (.lfsetting Mechanism, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in log carriage offsetting mechanism, and more particularly to mechanism of that character used in'connection with the carriages whereon logs are mounted for movement against the ripping saws. The principal object of the present invention is to provide mechanism that operated automatically to move the carriage laterally at the start or' each forward and reverse movement so that the logithereon will be moved clear of the saw while it is being moved back to position for the Vfollowing cut.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character that embodies a minimum number of parts and which operates easily, andsuccessfully performs its `function.l

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and in the combination of parts whereby an eflicient and serviceable device is provided.

s In accomplishing` these and other objects oi' the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a log `carriage equipped with offsetting mechanism according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation oi the carriage and its track, and showing the means whereby the offsetting mechanism is operated.`

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the olisetting devices, showing in full lines its position while the carriage is moving to thesaw, and `in dotted lines shove'- ing its position while being returned.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the carriage, showing the oii'setting mechanism in front elevation.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the locking lever used to prevent operation of the offsetting mechanism.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- 1 and 2 designate the opposite, longitudi- 1921. Serial No. 473,546.

nally extendingside beams ot a carriage whereon logs may be mounted `tor advancement to the ripping saw. This carriage is supported at its ends upon transverse axles 3 which are equipped at their opposite ends with wheels 1 and L1 adapted to travel upon the parallel rails 5 and 5 oic a guide track; the wheels l at one side olf the track are grooved and the rail 5 made to iit the grooves ot the wheels to prevent the latter from leaving the track as the carriage is moved forwardly and rearwardly. The undersides oit the beams 1 and 2 are provided with guide grooves G or with bearings wherein the axles 3 are disposed in such manner that. the carriage may be moved thereon laterally with respect to the direction of the track.

In Figures 1 and 2 the logs advanced by the carriage is indicated at 8, and it is disposed adjacent the rail'5 in a plane parallel to the vertical plane of the rail.

Securely lined to the axles 3, near the beam 1, are collars 9, each having an an- 1 nular groove 10 about its center portion,

and in (these grooves, ring members 11 are mounted so that they will turn -Freely within the grooves. Preferably the ring members will be made up of two semi-circular parts. joined together at their ends by means of bolts 12. also, the collars will be made in two parts that will tit opposite sides ot the against the axles by means of bolts 13 extended through the parts.

The rings 11 are provided on their' upper and lower sides with projectingstuds 14, and pivotally connected to these studs are the outer ends of stop toggle connections, each of which consists of members 15 and 16 which are joined pivotallv together at about the center ot' the vtoggles by means of vertical pivot pins 11". (The members 15 and 16 have substantial. en-

geable stops 18 thereon which engage each other when the members` of the toggle are moved to extend in a straight line, asshown in Fig. 3, to stop further movement in that direction. The extreme ends of each ot the members 16 of the toggles are pivotally connected by means of pins or bolts 19 to brackets 20 that are ixed to the side beam 2 of the carriage.

It is apparent that with the toggles so connected to the log carriage and to the the saw for cutting ailes and will be clamped inr position llo axles 3 thereof, movement of the toggles to a position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, Will shorten the distance between the pivot points 14 and 19 and, since the Wheels t are grooved to hold to the rail, the carriage will be compelled to travel laterally on the axles a distance which Will effectively clear the log thereon from the saw, and conversely, as the direction of travel of the carriage effects the straightening of the toggles, the carriage Will be moved again to its normal position for advancement to the cut.

lThe means whereby movement is imparted to the toggles to effect the shifting of the log carriages is best illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. In these figures, 25 designates a link that is pivotally connected at its inner end to the lower end of the bolt 19 beneath the bracket 20 and also is fixed to the lower endof the bolt 17. At its outer end the link is suitably connected with an endless cable'26 that passes about a pair of sheave wheels 27 and 28 located beyond the eX- treme Alimits of travel of the log carriage and alined in the direction of its movement. One of these Wheels is mounted upon a tightening frame, indicated at 29, so that vthe cable may be tightened, and on the axle of the other Wheel is keyed' a brake drum 3() about Which a brake band 31 is mounted and which enables the required resistance to be placed upon the drum. This connection provides that when the carriage is reversed for its return movement, the friction of the brake opposes sufficient pull on the cable to draw the link 25 to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, forcing the toggles With it, to move the carriage to suclr position that the log thereon will be cleared from the'saw. Similarly, `when the direction of movement of the carriage is reversed to carry the log tothe saw` the friction of the brake on the drum will, by means of the endless cable give sufficient resistance to pull the toggles to the straight position against their stops.

In order that the links 2,5 may be locked against movement so that` if it becomes necessary to back a log away from the saw Without offsetting, this may be done, I have provided locking levers of the character shrovvn in Figure 5. These locking levers 35 are pivotally fixed by means of bolts 36 to the outside of the beam 1 closely adjacent the ends of the links 25, and each has a short lower end portion 37 which is adapted` when the lever is swung to one position, to

engage the end of the toggle control lever to hold it against movementand thereby prevent offsetting of the carriage, but when moved to another position, will not interfere with movement of the toggle.

It is apparent that devices of the character disclosed are simple in construction and in operation and tivo or more may be used on each carriage accordingly as is re quired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is.:

1. The -combination with a r'pair of Wheeled aXles movable in reverse directions along guide rails, a carriage mounted for lateral shifting on the axles, a cable eX- tended about Wheels alined parallel with the rails and friction means for retarding movement of the cable, of stop toggle mechanisms connected With said axles, each comprising inner and outer membersy and a hinge pin connecting said' members, the inner toggle members having pivot pin connections with the carriage frame and the outer members having pivotal connection with the axles, and actuating links for the toggles having their inner ends mounted on the connecting pivot pins of the toggle members and outer ends connected with the "cable and adapted to open and close the toggl-es by vconnection With the hinge pins thereof.

2. The combination with a pair of wheeled axles movable in reverse directions along guide rails, a carriage mountedfor lateral shiftinf on the axles, a cable `extended 'about Wheels alined parallel with the rails and friction means for retarding movement of the cable, of stop toggle lmechanisms connected with said axles, each comprising inner and outer members and ahingepinconnecting said members, the inner toggle inembers having pivot pin connections with the carriage frame and the outer members hav ing pivotal connection with the akxlesand actuating links for the toggles having their inner ends mounted on the connecting 'pivot pins of the toggle members and outer l"ends connected with the cable and adapted to open and close the toggles by `connectionv withv the hinge pins thereof, and `locking levers pivotally mounted lon the carriage and movable to engage with thetoggle actuating links to prevent their movement'.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, thisf23rd day of May', 1921.

SAMUEL ERB. 

